


Detention, Anyone?

by syrenhug



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Homophobia, M/M, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syrenhug/pseuds/syrenhug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy Jackson and Jason Grace? That would make headlines at their school. Especially, since he’d denied those rumors over a million times. </p><p>He couldn’t help but think that it was sad, how many people had to hide because of fear. Nico didn’t care what anyone said. He liked who he liked and he did what he wanted. Simple as that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Detention, Anyone?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a roll.

Nico was rounding a corner, more than ready to ditch third period, when someone grabbed him by the arm. He jerked away, sighing when the twinkling eyes of Travis and Connor Stoll greeted him. They were leaning side by side, back to back. Their smiles were mischievous.

He asked, instantly, “What do you want? And how much trouble am I going to get in for it?”

“Nothing, man.” Travis shook his head, mock annoyed. “You should think better of us.”

Like that was going to happen. He spent half of freshman year in the principal’s office because of them. Well, not _only_ because of them.

Someone shoved past him roughly and he made a harsh noise deep in his throat. Pricks.

 “Again, I repeat; what do you want?”

 Connor looked over at his brother and his eyes were serious, for once. “Did you hear about Annabeth Chase’s proclamation at lunch yesterday?”

 “You know I don’t keep up with them.”

 “Well, she went on a rant about how gay people were okay and all, but she didn’t think they deserved to get married.”

 Nico shrugged. “Her problem. No one cares what she has to say anyway.”

 “You mean besides her group of lackey’s?” Travis snorted, running a hand through his hair. For a minute, he noticed a pink streak on the locker behind him. What was that? “Someone should tell her where her boyfriend goes after practice with his best friend.”

 Percy Jackson and Jason Grace? That would make headlines at their school. Especially, since he’d denied those rumors over a million times.

He couldn’t help but think that it was sad, how many people had to hide because of fear. Nico didn’t care what anyone said. He liked who he liked and he did what he wanted. Simple as that.

 “Anyway,” They said in unison and patted his back before pushing against their lockers, and down the hallway. “Have fun.”

 Was that glitter? He stared at the locker, puzzled. It read in pink graffiti: _Chase Hates Your Queer Face_.

 “What’s this?”

 He spun around. Mr. Zeus’s steel blue bore through him accusingly. Damn. He should’ve known better then to let himself get into the situations. It was the Stolls, for gods sakes.

 Mr. Zeus didn’t even ask for an explanation. Just said, sternly, “Detention, Mr. di Angelo. Report to the library as soon as school is out.”

 Nico rolled his eyes, gracing the teacher with a salute. “Sir, yes, sir."

 He hated his school.

 

* * *

“Here for detention?” A cheerful voice chimed, and he looked up from his place next to the computers. It was Leo Valdez. They weren’t friends, but the guy was pretty nice to everyone, never giving him trouble unlike the rest of the student body.

He cleared his throat when he realized the other boy was waiting for him to answer. “Yeah. You to?”

“Nah,” Leo waved a book in his hand. The side screamed _How We Met; And Other Stories_. The binding was steel grey and crinkled whenever it was shifted. “Library’s assistant. You’re helping me shelve stuff.”

So they set to it. He was lucky. Mr. Zeus usually gave terrible detentions.

And after a little while of picking up books and stacking them, Nico concluded that Leo Valdez was distracting.

 There was a ridiculous yellow beanie on the top of his dark hair. Whenever he leaned to put a book back in its place it seemed as if it were going to fall. The black oversized glasses he wore were perched on his nose crookedly. Across his stomach was a strap of his white satchel that hung, clattering like bracelets.

 Unique. Nico liked him. And he realized, then, that they were all alone in the library.

 “Hey.” Leo’s dimples were flashing charmingly as he passed by to get more books. “Still awake in there?”

 “Sorry.”

 “It’s fine. I like doing this stuff alone anyway.”

 “Why?” He asked, sliding a graphic novel between a Prince of Tennis edition and a Bleach one. The other boy paused, head tilting to the side.

 “Why what?”

 “Do you like doing this stuff?”

 “I guess, I think of it like books are people, you know? If someone took you away and used you for awhile, wouldn’t you be happy to be home?”

 Nico wasn’t unintelligent. He had straight A’s. He could remember a time when he was obsessed with books. The way the pages smelled as he turned them, the slip of the covers against his skin. But then he’d gotten to high school.

 Everyone assumed that because he wore dark clothes and listed to obscure rock music that he liked to make trouble, that he didn’t amount to anything. Nobody ever even gave him a chance. They saw him and stamped him with a label. Carried on with the order of things. In high school, it was so hard for people to be real with anybody.

 So he didn’t understand Leo, really, but he wanted to.

 “Would you - ”

 “What’s up?” The other boy’s eyes were bright behind his glasses. He looked sort of embarrassed about what he’d said. Nico had to smile.

 “Would you like to go out sometime?”

 “Oh,” Leo blinked. Dimples came out to play again and he reached over and punched him on the shoulder. It didn’t hurt at all. “Sure, man. As long as I can take you to my favorite book store one day.”

 He held out his hand, pleased when warm fingers trailed against his palm. “You have a deal.”

 Detention wasn’t always bad.


End file.
